Five international breakthrough acts for 2014

09 July 2013

With the 2013 edition of Laneway Festival now firmly in the rearview mirror, we figured it's time to delve into our annual look at five international acts primed to breakthrough in the latter stages of this year and beyond (Check out last year's edition here ft. Purity Ring, Daughter, Japandroids, Haim and Jessie Ware).

We've been keeping busy putting together the line-up for Laneway 2014 so whether or not any of the following acts make the cut is anyone's guess. Is that a line-up hint? We'll let you be the judge.

WIN: Tell us your top international breakthrough act by tweeting us using the hashtag #Laneway2014 (doesn't have to be from the list below). We've got a double pass to Laneway Festival in the city of your choice in 2014. Entry is open to residents of Australia, NZ & Singapore only. Prize does not include travel or accommodation. Entries close 23 July 2013.

FACTORY FLOOR

Factory Floor have been drip-feeding us their distinctive brand of acid-industrial beats via a fine collection of EPs and singles over the last few years so we were stoked to hear their self-titled debut album will finally drop this September. It took nearly two years to complete the record while the band were developing their live show in tandem with recording but it's doubtful too many fans would argue with that logic! Renowned tastemakers DFA Records are putting out the album, which, as far as we're concerned, only adds to the excitement around the release! Check out Factory Floor's 2013 single 'Fall Back':

XXYYXX

We had the pleasure of seeing XXYYXX in action at our Laneway SXSW party in Austin, TX earlier this year so we can tell you first hand this kid is a prodigious talent! 17 year old Marcel Everett hails from Orlando, FL and isn't yet old enough to hit the clubs that his songs have been blowing apart over the last 12 months. With that in mind, we can't help but wonder about the avant-garde electronic goodness he's got reserved for our collective eardrums.

HAERTS

Haerts have delivered back-to-back triumphs in the form of 'Wings' and new single 'All The Days'. The New York based act prescribes exactly the right dose of 80s era Fleetwood, coupled with a sense of nostalgia brought on by splashes of keyboards laced with lovelorn feelings of a summer fling that ended all too soon. We're incredibly excited to have Haerts playing the inaugural Laneway Festival Detroit in September.

ARTHUR BEATRICE

London's Arthur Beatrice have been on our radar since dropping their excellent singles 'Midland' and 'Charity' a little while back. We were pretty pumped when new track 'Carter (Cut)' made its way online about a month ago. With the band's debut EP out at the end of July, also called Carter, we'll be looking forward to news on an album sometime in the not too distant future.

THE YUM DEE DAYS

A cloud of mystery hovers over Brooklyn band The Yum Dee Days. In a world of information overload where every new act is clamouring for precious space in the music press, it is equal parts refreshing and odd when a band appears online with no Facebook, no website or no Twitter. Not even an official SoundCloud. There is, however, a BandCamp page showcasing The Yum Dee Days' glorious 60s throwback record It's All Happening. A great name for the album because it is indeed all happening when it's available for free download! Grab it here.

Listen to 'The Future Is A Drag' and try not to picture yourself vibing out at a music festival somewhere in the world. We think it's impossible not to!

St. Jerome's Laneway Festival is about leading new and revered seminal music. The festival has always been interested in finding what's fresh and bringing it to unique settings and surrounds to be appreciated by music lovers.

The size of the festivals, the locations and the way we encourage community all form part of the way in which the Laneway team strive to present a live music experience like no other.